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PhD Research Fellowship in Polymer materials for CO2 transport applications

Deadline: 09.02.2021

Universitetet i Oslo

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest rated institution of research and education with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. Its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally esteemed research communities make UiO an important contributor to society.


The Department of Chemistry is Norway's largest institution within research and education in chemistry. Our research excels internationally and we educate students to a wide variety of jobs in industry, academia, research institutions, schools and public administration. Our research ranges from the core topics of chemistry to applied science within in environmental, health, energy and materials. The Department has extensive contacts with industry, research and educational institutions at home and abroad. As partner in the Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology our researchers contributes to a significant interdisciplinary efforts in cooperation with the Department of Physics. The Department of Chemistry has its own school laboratory as a great resource for teachers, public outreach and the didactics of chemistry.

Job description

Position as PhD Research Fellowship in Polymer Science and Physical Chemistry available at Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo. Starting date as soon as possible

The PhD-fellowship period is 3 years and devoted to carrying out a project entitled Characterization and prediction of the CO2 effect on polymeric materials within the CO2 transport chain (CO2 EPOC)

More about the position

In this PhD fellowship, the candidate will perform cutting edge research and contribute to the management of greenhouse gas emissions, specifically by focussing on the efficient transport of carbon dioxide between the carbon capture facilities and carbon storage sites. The use of polymer materials is a small but critical part of the CO2 transport chain (for example as elastomeric seals, gaskets, pipe liners etc as leakage seals and protective barriers), which are necessary to prevent leakage of the captured CO2 during transport.

Sustainable and efficient deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) requires reliable solutions at all levels of the value chain. Demonstrations of capture and storage technologies developed in the last decades have already realised technology readiness levels (TRL) able to support a quick CCS deployment, but knowledge gaps still exist regarding which polymer materials may be safely and effectively used in the CO2 transport infrastructure. Transport of supercritical CO2 by pipeline or transport of cryo-compressed CO2 by ship create very different, but both highly demanding environments. These environments have different effects on polymeric materials and can lead to transient and permanent changes in the materials (such as stiffening, cracking, seal leakage and premature part failure), resulting in re-emission of the CO2 during transport.

The PhD fellowship is part of a 5 year project jointly funded by the Research Council of Norway and 4 industrial project partners. The project is led by the research institute SINTEF in a consortium comprising University of Oslo, University of Bologna (Italy) and 4 industrial partners. The PhD candidate at the University of Oslo will be involved in designing and executing advanced experiments to determine the effect of CO2 on the polymer microstructure, investigate CO2 transport within polymeric materials, while acquiring skills on thermodynamic and scattering model development. Work will also be performed in collaboration with a second PhD candidate at the University of Bologna, with the aim of predicting the polymer performance under these realistic conditions. It is imperative that the PhD candidate is highly self-driven and able to take responsibility for his/her own work, including troubleshooting and acquiring additional skills required to reach the project goals.

Qualification requirements

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition is to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

  • Applicants must hold a Master’s degree or equivalent in Material Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Physical Chemistry or similar fields. A Master’s degree (120 ECTS) or an equivalent qualification with minimum grade B (ECTS grading scale) or equivalent. The Master’s degree must include a thesis of at least 30 ECTS.
  • Fluent oral and written communication skills in English are required.
  • The ability to work independently and in a cross-disciplinary team is required.
  • A strong background within topics related to, material science, polymer physics and thermodynamics and other related topics in physical chemistry is required.
  • Demonstrated experimental skills and an interest in theory (mainly polymer thermodynamics) is required.
  • Previous experience in polymer testing, thermodynamic modelling and/or high pressure gas experimentation is desired.

Grade requirements:

The norm is as follows:

  • the average grade point for courses included in the Bachelor’s degree must be C or better in the Norwegian educational system
  • the average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree must be B or better in the Norwegian educational system
  • the Master’s thesis must have the grade B or better in the Norwegian educational system
  • Fluent oral and written communication skills in English evt. and a Scandinavian language.

English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/ EEA countries and exemptions from the requirements.

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.

The fellowship requires admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The application to the PhD programme must be submitted to the department no later than two months after taking up the position. For more information see:

http://www.uio.no/english/research/phd/

http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/

We offer

  • Salary NOK 482 200 – 526 000 per annum depending on qualifications and seniority as PhD Research Fellow (position code 1017)
  • Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
  • Vibrant international academic environment
  • Career development programmes
  • Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include

  • Cover letter. Statement of motivation and research interests.
  • CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
  • Copies of educational certificates, transcript of records and letters of recommendation
  • Documentation of English proficiency
  • List of publications and academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
  • Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “Apply for this job”. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

When evaluating the application, emphasis will be given to the eventuelt “project description” and the applicant’s academic and personal prerequisites to carry out the project. Applicants may be called in for an interview.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The appointment may be shortened/given a more limited scope within the framework of the applicable guidelines on account of any previous employment in academic positions.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

Contact information

For further information please contact:

For question regarding our recruitment system, please contact HR Adviser Ørjan Pretorius, e-mail: orjan.pretorius@mn.uio.no.

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